This was the finest skier of his generation in the early 1970s.He won two gold medals in slalom and in combination at the 1972 Sapporo games, titles that established his mastery in those years since he went on to win two world championship titles and four victories in the world cup up to 1975.His skill at slaloming between the gates earned him the nickname "tiger-cat". Thoeni also won two silver medals, in Sapporo in 1972 and in Innsbruck four years later, both in the special slalom.